How Content Kills Creativity 

If you'd like to watch me perform the track from the video, it's over on my new music-only channel: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-TEbRuVakqPg.html

you deserve to be picked up by a record label like "Erased Tapes Records". your music is incredible. I don't see somebody merging electronic music and high-level composition like you do very often. ❤

11/10 conten........video 😅

The mind-numbing torrent of "content" is simultaneously addictive and alienating. 😢

I agree. The term "content" itself pisses me off. That word tells you all you need to know about the current state of the internet. It's not "videos" or "music". It's now "content". Just constant sludge noise made purely to get in front of people while they mindlessly scroll through miles and miles of "content". Think about it like this. What if Christopher Nolan or Stephen Speilberg started treating their movies like "content". They would probably be passable, but they would feel soulless. What if Pink Floyd decided to make "content" rather than music? That's a scary thought. We need people TAKING RISKS and BEING THEMSELVES. We have enough "content" creators.

I think the reason for huge amounts of (largely bland) content being produced by large corporations is that QUANTITY is probably the one tool with which they have left to compete. Smaller creators can frequently achieve the same level of QUALITY as corporations in any given niche. This is 100% the topic on my mind right now too: I wonder deeply if there's a subtle pyramid scheme developing from all this. Music itself doesn't draw the attention or the spend that courses and products do. There's a huge incentive toward productizing a channel (and I'm not shy of stating that I'm exploring that route myself). But if your course and tools are purely intended to help other consumers turn themselves into more content creators, is that a healthy economy...? I'm working on solving the riddle - would love to hear some ideas in response.

There's a way to have your cake and eat it too. People want a story but music IS a story, you just have to learn how to draw it out and make it tangible for others to see it in the way you do. Keep going.

Not only does it kill creativity, it is killing the planet. Not hyperbole. Content takes a lot of energy from fossil fuels, "renewables," and takes time from other things. It's important to consider all of the connections to be able to see the entire picture. We're not separate from the effects of resource mining to create our lifestyles. All that aside :) I really appreciate your content, and even more than that I love your music. Thank you.

"Any art requires craft, and craft requires experimentation and time" so perfectly succinct and powerful. Really captures the whole issue here

Thank you for this video and others like it. You are one of only a handful of people on RU-vid discussing the structure and psychology of composing music in this time of internet distribution and social media. You are a breath of fresh air (and indispensable) for us creatives trying to navigate the contemporary electronic music landscape. Also, your music is very high quality so keep putting time into your composing and sharing it even though the views are much less than your 'story' based content. 👌

I stumbled upon your channel primarily due to my fascination with Prophet 12. Now, I'm hooked on your insightful discussions about art, the creative process, and intellectual musings. Your humor and music keep me coming back. Please, never stop sharing. I'm hopeful we're transitioning from this overwhelming content era to something more meaningful.

I appreciate this video. It’s an adult talking. No hype. No clock ticking down on the latest ear training course discount or secret ingredient (for a price) that’s guaranteed to amp up my fan base. I’m also impressed by the quality of comments elicited by the video. To maintain your well being, longer intervals between videos and/or shorter videos may be advised. While I would miss the output, I think it would ultimately allow you to sidestep burnout, keep the quality level at a high level, and provide more time for you to compose.

Excellent thoughts on creativity and making content. Absolutely agree with you on this. One of the main reasons why I didn’t start a channel myself. I have tons of ideas that I use daily for myself, but to make that content somehow will defeat the purpose for me. I guess I’m just weird, but I rather see other music creators instead of myself. Great video!

You're so respectable JNJ. Keep going.

Little Wolfie was pushed by his Dad into a musical circus as a uniformed servant, his training had a profound influence on what he produced to please people. Sometimes his passion and his genius shone through. It just so happens he was so much better at churning out content to please an audience than his contemporaries but his insistence on recognition for his artistic objectives made him an unpopular employee. As a visual artist, philosopher and occasional composer, I have recognised that in exchange for my artistic freedom I need to do other stuff to be able to keep doing art. The struggle for me is not the acceptance that people are not coming to me for their art consumption but just making enough time to do art and to reserve enough energy to make it happen. I've had to give up waiting tables (which I have loved) because nobody wants a 66 year old waiter who doesn't want to spend the rest of his life on keeping his appearance tuned to other people's requirements. In short, I agree 100% with your sentiments.

There is a basketball channel I follow (SWISHOUT) that has a really good following and no release schedule. Dude just makes videos when he feels like it and they are always great, because he, as you greatly put it, only speaks when he has something to say. I think dealing with the algorithm on your own terms is the way to go, even if it means you're not optimizing for it.

The hardest thing about about making RU-vid videos is remembering to keep throwing out the rule book when creating. I don't mean not making a good thumbnail/title, catchy intro, all those top ten RU-vid guru tips, blah blah. I mean sacrificing those things if necessary to create a remarkable work of art. I listened to your album Somewhat the Same. Something remarkable happening here on your channel.

Very well spoken and thought out video. You highlight many of the reasons why I chose to no longer "play the game" years ago. Be your true self, and only create the art which your soul yearns for. In reality, this is what people unconsciously want from Artists, even though "others" may want you to think otherwise... Throughout history, the Artist was understood as the one who defines culture and tells the consumers what they want to experience. Only in recent decades have the roles been reversed, where "artists" now bend to the will of the consumer and allow them to instruct what they create (which forms this vicious cycle of content). We as Artists, must return to being the cultural defining forces once more, no longer listening to what the consumer wants. The truth is, most people or consumers don't even know what they want from you; you can't please them even if you do give them what they think they want. As an Artist, define the culture, and don't allow it to define you.

I 100% agree, if you can, please never put content before your Artistic heart. I am very thankful for every input and video you put out, no matter how long it takes. BTW Quality is also a matter of time, which seems easily forgotten in these rushing days.

Sometimes you don't recognize yourself behind the project. It's like those stories where a manager from the record label has some ideas & methods that may evoke feelings of coercion on the musician; except you're all those roles. It's like embracing a temporary insanity of being a committee of one. But we are rooting for you (to keep sane while achieving your success)

Creative energy is a limited resource. Shit, energy is a limited resource. Throw in a full time job, and that album I've been working on for 5 years (and is almost finished) will languish unlistened by most people. "Content" is a dirty word. It is the commoditization of everything.

Thanks! I watched this again to cheer myself up after watching a depressing video suggesting that artist only release singles every single week. Instead of using social media to try and go viral, I've just been using it as a way to network and be inspired by other artists, designers, etc. and to connect with possible fans. While I've just done a few Instagram ads in the same way bands used to hand out flyers to people to go see their shows. But instead of a street corner, it's around the globe with an idea of who might take a look at it.

‘Content’ is the detritus that good creativity has to try and break through to be noticed. It’s the awful music I am forced to hear when shopping for groceries, it’s the endless and pointless commentary from so-called influencers, its reality television. But the problem is that ‘content’ it’s the micro plastics of art, and it just makes people so drained that they just want nothing, not even good things. Even as someone who makes music, I am fucking sick of hearing music EVERYWHERE, to the point where I don’t want to make any because my brain is so fatigued.

You do you. Just that. I'll come back to your "content" any day because I'm on the lookout for it. Not for the sake of a schedule you are supposedly meant to be keeping. I'll happily wait a month, a year, more? Why? Because what you have to say makes a lot of sense, always and just resonates. Because you have a wonderful sense of humour. Because you come across as being authentic, forthright and truthful - and know how to not take yourself too seriously, perhaps only when you're making music, making your art and feeding your soul. Man, your content just makes me sit back, relax myself and wait for that smile to come on my face. See you when I see you!

I recently started my channel and spent a long time thinking about some of the points you discussed. I didn’t want to compromise creativity, but did want to grow an audience for my art. 3 days a week, I have dedicated music time, and 2 days a week, I’m editing videos. For my music time, I’m writing songs and letting the cameras roll. The art comes first, but the cameras are there to catch the “content”. It’s hard to have your cake and eat it too - try to find some other hobbies that recharge your batteries and aren’t music.

The synonym of content is the exact opposite of joy and bliss. It’s an appropriate word. Like your channel and music, my tastes are more in the sound of earth collapsing (hecker etc) but you have a lovely sound.

Thank you. Your work may not be all about the views, but it is a guiding torch. A vital one.

Wow what a wonderful and important message. As a game developer(and hobby musician) the "how i would run Nintendo" quote at the beginning was such a perfect example about the disconnect the social media world has to actual art creation (and the lack of understanding the reason for -in this example Nintendos- success). A little bit of topic, but this problem you described is actually my biggest concern about the ai future. I am less worried about the replacement of artist, but rather the social impact of the "on demand", instant and customised art supply will have on our society.

Thank you. Artists need to hear this. It's a fine balance of where and when to divert the creative energy. Every artists needs to find their own balance, but we all know it deep down when the balance is off.

You're actually so real for this. I've always hated advice that focused on mass production of shit because it doesn't produce anything but mediocrity. I'm glad you're focusing on yourself

I can’t remember where I read it but the definition of burnout that resonated most with me was one that was business-oriented: “burnout is caused by a lack of return on emotional investment”.

Dude, I only just saw this and its by far my favourite video of yours. I couldn't agree more - trying to do Tiktok, RU-vid, etc all regularly is essentially like drinking poison for my creativity. I go through pretty frequent burnout periods where I fully need to just even stop doing anything related to music, which I never used to have when I was just making music, and not trying to be a "content creator". Really appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts about this.

A newcomer to your channel but have been engrossed by your videos and found them really helpful in dealing with my own mini-crises when it comes to feeling the creative well dry up, balancing the art with the content creation, and working out where I'm supposed to take all of this. Thanks for your insights (not to mention the hauntingly beautiful soundtracks behind them).

Resonates with me I’ve been trying to think about this period of time as a golden age. Sure, no one can get their music heard, but alternately there’s so much more music and art being created than ever. That’s gotta account for something. Things will probably change soon. I can’t guess how, but so many people being invested in art has got to have some other positive effects.

This is so true. It's hard to make a music video and see it get a handful of hits when gear reviews get 10 to 20 times that. It's fun and rewarding to make the video, but then depressing that no one cares. My solution to this was to make a custom intro sequence on every video with my own custom music. It's my favorite part of the process and I can easily spend 4+ hours on making, mixing, mastering and timing clips to the beat...all for roughly 15-20 seconds of video that a decent percentage of people just skip over. Oh well, at least I can fight the algorithm a little bit. Keep up the good work.

Yeah it really does... It feeds the soul... I'm by no means content creator... And only now after more then 15+ years of making music... I started to release it. There was nothing more them financial loss for me since I started... But I really enjoyed in every project, learning and doing art for art. I remember the day when I first opened the daw as kid... First drum programings and synths exploring... Al the the knobs, have no idea what they do... Star exploring, start learning, twisting knobs... Lucky and unlucky accidents.

Thanks for this reminder. Content feels like junk food. A dopamine blast that wears off nearly as fast as it comes on.

Damn. You really did just kinda sum up all the things I couldn't when talking to my friends who try to actively "be the next thing". Music isn't my main creative outlet. That's graffiti. And I feel like the... "ephemerality" (is that a word?) of it has helped me alot. Making something that's gonna be cleaned, or covered up within a week has really helped me understand the idea of making something just because I wanted to make it, and if some train passenger thinks it looks neat, then good for them. My dayjob is in IT, and its weird how I can see the exact same "Rise and Grind" culture in art now, as I do in my job. So.. Thanks for making this. I have to send it to a couple people.

Remember algo's only deal with past info on what people like, but can't account for creative novelty & how people will react to a unique spin on something🤔

Love your music and your videos, pal. The one thing you never mentioned was "soul." You have a soul and it comes out in everything you do. Thanks for sharing it with us. But I'm still waiting for my lessons. :)

%100 bro, its so hard goddamn, nothing is the same as when I decided to dedicate my life to this stuff, it's changed so much, such a shame, barrier to entry is pretty much non existent now, but everyone thinks they are a star and when there are too many "stars" and not enough fans it makes it so much harder to get the correct exposure we need to gain a following that's aware of our existence, that loves what we are creating and benefits from it.

This is so timely. I just released my first music in this "digital age" and considering all of the traps that everything seems to be funneling me towards to get the music out there. I feel like a dinosaur since the last music releases I was a part of were physical CDs and playing shows. The thing that I find most startling is being able to see the real time number of streams and metrics on every platform. This alone is driving me toward the content + playlist avenue, but I am considering this video to take a pause and re-consider. I appreciate the honesty and sharing your prior experience with these things. 🙏

First of all, love your content. This video highlights a few of the reasons why I’m focusing my energy on what I love; improvising. In terms of actually getting content out there, I’m going to stick to strictly live streaming myself playing and improvising in real time. Live streaming lets me do the thing I actually want to do: play. And since there’s also video involved it has more visual pull than just an album cover. But I don’t have to worry about actually editing and producing videos, because I couldn’t care less about any of that. It just boils everything down to getting a good live sound mix, getting some halfway decent camera angles and lighting, and doing the thing. Plus now that I have my streaming setup ready to go between all the gear, cameras, OBS, etc., all that’s left is to build up the confidence to start streaming consistently. Also still need to choose the right platform for streaming, since RU-vid is where live streams go to die. I spent like 2 hours last night trying to hunt through the live stream content to find real humans playing music. It was all these weird live AI content radios, gross stuff. No humans anywhere! Guess I’ll probably have to look at twitch

thanks so much for your video. I discovered you through Venus Theory live stream. I remember when I met a session singer back in 2012 who was like I have to make more 'content.'. I thought it was so strange to think of art as content; but she was right... at least about the marketing side of content. Your compositions are good and cool to see you at the piano with paper and pencil

As usual, you have a really solid, grounded perspective that I think most people, artist or not, would benefit from contemplating. I agree with the premise that the constant need to feed the Content Beast kills creativity, and I think I share the same lament you have that I think no one (myself included when I'm honest) looks for art in the ways we might have before the content megamachine has taken over our lives. It reminds me of what one of my favorite theologians said once, that we have lost the art of boredom. Even when waiting for a few minutes in a line, we feel compelled to pull out our phone and fill up on content that usually ends up being entirely meaningless to us. So we lose the space to process art or for the creative process. And I can't help but wonder what the ramifications will be.

thank you for sharing what so many of us have been feeling these last few years

3:31, had to pause and say this: I actually did come to your channel to see your takes on a synth I was eyeballing at the time (Iridium), and I found myself going deeper and checking out your actual work. There are several compositions of yours off of this channel that I was legitimately floored by, that heartened me to keep creating things too. The same is true for a small amount of other "synth youtubers" (not a fan of that concept, but hey, we're on youtube, so I'm distilling it to that. Jay Hosking is another I'm a major fan of). I ended up listening to your tracks, as well as Jay's when I went out for long walks with my dog, doing stairclimbs, hikes, etc. It's meditative, and fantastic. Point being? I wouldn't have run into it otherwise most likely if it weren't for this format. So, grudgingly mission accomplished? Anyway, back to the video. Keep doing good work. The end.

I am maybe old school...well I am not the youngest anyway so I watch things still very differently. Your channels is very useful and just love to watch the vids. I unfollowed some channels recently as the "content" was either the same thing all over again...or the diss channels ,the plugin testers....the tip givers where you learn squat in the end...

Most content that gets promoted by the gurus feels like fast food, it makes you full fast but overall you feel unhealthy and empty (yours is an exception here!) My intuition tells me that people eventually will get tired of this type of consumption and go back to meaningful things like a reading a good novel, meaningful music or just going outside for a walk in nature. At least that's what I observe in myself.

Great video. It's a tough balance of doing what you want to do and making what social media and RU-vid wants you to create.

Ironically, this piece of content just got you another subscriber 😂 What a brilliant video, you are absolutely bang on about this stuff. Music is more about promoting yourself these days, it doesn't even seem to matter if it's any good. I honestly try to make stuff I like rather than 'content' I think will do well, but the algorithm is kind of insidious. Thinking about my own channel the other day, I realised the pieces I was most happy with were from a few years ago when I first started and only uploaded once every few months. The pressue to upload regularly is responsible for so much bad content out there. I should probably take a break and wait until I've got some inspiration again, but once you've got a few hundred subs you feel like you need to upload every few weeks, even if you have nothing to say musically. It's probably what psychologists call a 'sunk cost fallacy', the concept that people plough on and continue what they know to be the wrong strategy because they've invested too much in it to stop!

Fantastic new video man. Depths. Love this music at 13:40 ish. Gives me some Ben Folds reminders. But way better.

I 200% agree !!! I wish you all the best you deserve. It doesn't matter if you publish less video.. Better the quality instead of quantity ;)

You really laid out lot of ideas and sentiments I had in my mind. It's a vicious cycle where there is always a downside to what we do.

i like to add: it is not just to spread our art, it also about making money with it. and this is the problem in the end.

Wise words! I just treat my channel like a portfolio at this point. I don’t need a single view if it means I can’t be making the art I want to make - the algorithm can fuck itself lol. Very excited to check out your music-only channel 😁 Glad you’re still making time to focus on music!! I know not many of us click on it, but those of us who do genuinely appreciate you sharing 🎶

Thanks, Mr. Jones. I appreciate your philosophical approach to art as an artist. Expounding on these modern ideas and how to incorporate them with modern technology is largely a double-edged sword. But your videos help define and point out what those shortcomings and advantages are. Thanks for your videos and art. I love your music.

I agree (and personally struggle) with a lot of what you have to say in this video. The reality is that there are also MORE ARTISTS THAN EVER and its not just enough to make "good music" and think thats going to connect. Its a very big part of a multilayered process. Gone are the days when you could be written up on a blog and reach a massive audience through your "awesome music" alone. We're now in an era where you (or someone on your team/label) need to spend just as much thought on the idea of making your marketing of the music stand out as much as the music.

(first 3 minutes) I am not sure where this video is going...but I feel the same as the title. When I focus to create content...I am using my energies and focus to create something FAST and superficial, instead of something that really move my heart. Just trapped in the IDEA that content creation will bring me career success.... I am also a musician, I love to share, but I love more to CREATE! Same story as you mentioned here. Yourtitle and thumbnail worked :) haha. Thank you JNJ!!! One more time.

Stumbled upon your channel through Venus Theory. I find your calm demeanor pleasing. Subscribed.

I felt this in the core of my tiny rectangle.

I so appreciate this video. I started a RU-vid channel a while back and then after about making five or so videos, I deleted the whole thing. I realized it took way too much time editing and coming up with ideas (which, was also fun, to be fair!), for me to realistically be able to work on music as well. But then, it's tough, because where is the audience you (we) so desire?? So, yes, you nailed it, and I applaud you for saying it so clearly. I'm gonna do myself a favor and check out some more of your MUSIC.

One of the most genuine youtubers out there. Awesome video as usual :)

Masterful as always. I'll be here for any and all of your content, whatever that is.

Thanks, you are so right. Creating more vids is like a drug hunting for more likes. We have to come back to create more art and may be we need another channel than this big commercial RU-vid with all those algorithms and commercials breaks. Thanks again for bringing that to a point.

LOL omfg I agree 100% - my friend's advice is always the same about using tiktok and twitter to promote .. but the problem with that is you become a 'twitter person'. I tweeted at the flashbulb when I saw him kinda b**tching about 'this is why your music hasnt been the same - gtfo social media!' and he tweeted back about how he dropped an album 6 months ago and worked on something today... but his new album just dosnt have the same effect where my emotional environment changes on play.. (and to your point one sounds composed the other sounds more improvised). You do make good music man - if you really want to break through in the industry social media isnt the answer. You have to find the 'gate keepers' and get passed them. For your style - I could definitely hear it being played in a movie or a video game. Anyways, mad respect.

What a dude. So happy to have found this channel.

I'm so happy I've discovered your videos. Really balances my artistic and my consumer side. Will concentrate on the artistic side more :-)

Hey JNJ - You hit the nail bang on the head here. Totally living through it all at the moment 😄 Of course, some channels are built mainly through music content but that takes far longer than including popular stuff. Maybe a worthwhile trade. I guess it's a balance, and not easy to get right....

you just reminded me that i also initially wanted to use my channel in an entirely different way. i mean i always wanted to make nerdy sounddesign-y tutorials, but i also wanted to transport the lifestyle of a musician and all that and it just didn't happen. but it's more because i just don't live near my friends and partys anymore rather than youtube's fault. at the end of the day no matter what my life is like i can make good content from it if i want to and so far i do

Very well said. It doesn't just drain creativity, also kills people desires to go deeper and search, why read into art and intention, or listen to music and think about the choices - just see another thing. Like sure, I get that people don't always want to be deep and meaningful, like when I'm grabbing a burger or whatever, but it seems these days people ponder on things a whole lot less. I was in an art gallery recently and one of my favorite paintings there was in a back corner and people just glanced it and moved onto the tasty bright sugar, missing all he understated subtlety it had, although maybe I was reading too much into it... but isn't that half the fun? I dunno. Btw, bought all your stuff on bandcamp - great stuff, I Iisten to it quite a bit, puts me in the same space as earlier music by hammock.

Thank you for this video. Much love brother. Keep playing and stay true to what will make you happy.

A topic that needs to be discussed more, thank you sir

Great video, a few of my thoughts after watching: 1) why should one care about how many people experience their art at all? if you make art for yourself, then you succeed every time. If you then chose to share it publicly that's great, but who care's what anyone else thinks or says about it? many artists aren't 'discovered' or appreciated until long after their period of artistic output, often after their death, and that has been true for centuries. 2) if the goal is to make a living from art, then you are running a business, and the basics of business acumen apply, and the art is reduced to a product to be sold and consumed. the people who can excel in both these areas are rare indeed. 3) for me personally, my youtube channel is 100% based on the videos I want to make, basically its just for fun and my own enjoyment. I simply make videos that I want to watch, as snapshots of my process or thoughts at that moment. that means I don't have to care at all about 'how well my channel is doing', or what the analytics say, etc. It frees me up to be as artistic or creative as I want, likewise it frees me up to post dumb videos about whatever whenever I choose. its liberating, and becomes a source of creativity and helps drive me to actually hit record, which can sometimes be the hardest step of the creative process. if youtube didn't exist, I would still make just as much art, but I simply wouldn't have an easy and free way to share it publicly, so it would remain mostly private. keep in mind the founding idea of youtube - it is a public access TV channel of you, you can make whatever you want.

This struck a chord with me! Thanks for sharing!

i worked as a teacher and trainer for 20 years, the biggest killer of creativity i found was TED. ironically it was Sir Ken Robinsons brilliant talk "do schools kill creativity" . indeed it did. until he called them out on TED. now every tom, dick and Simon thinks they have the answers. thanks to TED. while schools may have pulled up their pants and got their act together, the internet is now the biggest drain, specifically as you say, the socials. Great presentation by the way 👍

This is gold. To be honest I make ‘content’ about four times a year and the rest of the time I’m just creative. But I don’t rely on any social media for my income.

Nice Theme. I can't wait to hear it's development.

A very timely message. Like you, I want to see (and put out) videos, posts, whatever that have a genuine rationale. Cameron on Venus Theory is another very talented artist who concurs with you. Playlistification and trying to please "curators" - nah. I'll just keep creating stuff and if it's got some merit, maybe put it out there.

Thank you for this. I have been moved.

So true. The "machine" is hungry and is feeding on creativity with a deep dish of attention span for desert.

Your face at the beginning truly describes my feelings on this topic, too. Lol

Thanks for this video. My music has definitely changed as a result of trying to get views, trying to find an audience, so I can go back to making the music that I wanted to make. I switched from posting one or two full tunes/videos per month to one or two #shorts per week. My views expanded from almost nothing to the beginning of something. “Hey, I think this is going to work.” Then, unexplainably, views on my #shorts fell way back, even as my production and thumbnails continued to improve - what the heck! Did they change the algorithm? Did they expect me to start paying to keep my meager, but growing audience as another RU-vidr documented? So I’ve gone back to working more on full-length tunes/videos and experimenting with new stuff.

It's the more modern version of the problem many traditional, and later modern electronic musicians had. Where once you had a following, there were always demands to tour. But touring is exhausting and more conducive to burnout than creativity. But it pays the bills and grows the following, so a balance music be found. Some musicians would structure their time carefully. Like settling into a routine like only touring one event a weekend only, or a weekend of tours a couple of times a month. Keeping a day for admin, downtime, a few consecutive days for writing / recording only. Because it takes a run to get into the flow of anything. I've found the same with using a classical guitar for writing. We've learned to associate the computer with work & comms.

Now is the summer to diss content. You totally nailed it saying art feeds the soul.

You’re onto it

I'm just seeing my youtube as a diary. If peoeple watch it I get happy. But defently guilty of naming my songs after the gear I'm using, just so I can get that extra 5 views. Degrading the song to a commercial. Subbed your music channel

I very much dislike making content. Instead I've opted to do advertising only and working on a double LP which I'm very stoked for.

I for one have really been enjoying your music and Mideras a lot. I'll pop one of those on and throw them on loop while I"m trying to chill out or focus on a sit-down task. It's a shame that the music side of things doesn't have the draw, but that doesn't surprise me either. Music pushes different buttons than a video of 'gently stimulating' ideas and we go to either for different reasons and are likely to entertain the latter with fewer 'taste' filters. Hey, be grateful your music casts the net it does.

I want to start out that I really appreciate what you do. I think your honest insight in the over-saturated world of RU-vid synth guys is a welcome breath of fresh air. One of the reasons that I like your channel is that it focuses more on creative tools and inspirations rather than gear reviews and sales pitches. And when you do do that, it is more rooted in sound design capabilities. What struck me about this video in particular is when you shared the numbers of views of your own music vs a synth how to video. I am struggling with the same thing in my own way. I have been trying to make original music since I was 14 years old (I am 42 currently). I have invested countless hours and dollars into this endeavor, as well as my heart and soul. I am proud of the work I have done over the years, but it has never eclipsed local success, and never has paid me back financially in an way lol. Right now I am in a reasonably successful band in Chicago. We get decent local shows and are on a small label. It wouldn't seem like much to many, but it's a huge win for me. I have always been curious about synthesizers (I am a drummer by trade) and was able to carve out some time during the early stages of the pandemic to learn and make some music. I have found some limited success with it by getting on some small boutique cassette labels and that is very cool for me. Lately I feel like I have been bogged down in chasing gear and less making music. I want to reverse that. When I am at my happiest (as you said) is actually making music. The thing that is a bummer is how hard it is to get people to hear it. I don't even care about being compensated. I just want ears. Some folks are cool with making stuff just for them, but the connection with others is a huge reason why I love music. If you can crack that code, I would be very impressed, but for the time being I like that you are going to focus less on "content" and more on making music. I need to do that same and tune out the endless GAS RU-vid vicious circle. Take care (sorry this was so long lol)!

You’re the real deal. True depth to your insights and thoughts on what I can completely relate with. Just subbed

THANK YOU. Thank you for saying all this out loud. Never sacrifice the art! I was once in a game project where each participant was expected to create Facebook stories for one week. It was horrible as I couldn't concentrate on making decisions about the game when I also had to think what clever I could post. "Only 2-4 stories every day!" OK. Creative work always requires some solitude and uninterrupted time. It's taxing to the brain to switch between the creative and content creator modes. Content creation can be very rewarding, but there has to be time and energy for the creative work.

Fifteen minutes-plus of clear, coherent, worthwhile thought. Thanks, JNJ.

I think it all still boils down to creativity. What is "content" for you? It's the same about a physical "product". Most 90's major music label would think a certain way, but some 70's major music label, just like some 80''s/90's (luckyly a few today) gaming companies would define it a different way. I think it's just a sum between your own taste, and what you perceive your audience taste to be. The perception of an audience's taste varies greatly from person to person, that's why major companies deal with raw data and statistics. What they fail to recognize is how those trends come to be. How do major creative works come to be? How do the star wars, dark side of the moon, fear and loathing in las vegas of this world came to be. Those things only exist for a reason, to please the person that made them, and luck may have it, please millions of others in the process. It also takes guts to say "I'm risking losing this percentage of my audience to go ahead with what I think is my own truth" which, can appeal to some other group that you weren't aware of. How big is that group is only discovered after we have the guts to risk creating "content" more towards our own truths and tastes.

Thank you, I hear you. The art is worth it. I have a mundane job and spend my free time doing what I love. At this point I’m young and possibly hope to use my skill to provide for myself but maybe that isn’t a good idea. Maybe doing what I love when I chose is the best way to go. I hope some others feel this way too. It’s unfortunate but maybe, again the way it should be

Thanks for these wise reflections. Very appreciated.

Your point of view... From mine (on the content consumer side) I have to admit spending too much time watching gear reviews instead of switchin' my synth setup on and start new projects... In the old days, once a month, you went to the closest newstand and got your fave music technology magazine to fill your WC time...

Absolutely agree with you. It feels like endless race for "success", with burnout bonus in couple years.

See ya sometime!

I’m only 2 minutes in and this already feels more intense and creative than a lot of videos lately